Press Release regarding the approval of the National Action Plan 2021-25 for the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 "Women, Peace and Security"
At its meeting on December 22, the Council of Ministers approved the first five-year National Action Plan of the Republic of Cyprus for the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 "Women, Peace and Security". The approval of this National Action Plan for the years 2021-2025, prepared on the initiative of the Office of the Commissioner for Gender Equality, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in coordination with the relevant Ministries and Services, coincides with the completion of 20 years from the adoption of Resolution 1325 by the Security Council.
This National Action Plan consists of four main pillars covering, respectively, Participation and Empowerment, Protection, Prevention and Promotion/Information for the Resolution, and its main objective is to identify the disproportionate and unprecedented consequences of armed conflict on women and the utilisation of women's experiences in conflict prevention and resolution, as well as in the preservation of peace. The Plan sets the framework for a coherent horizontal policy, which will create, among other things, appropriate synergies between stakeholders, including the broader civil society.
On the occasion of the adoption of the National Action Plan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to publicly thank the Commissioner for Gender Equality, the relevant Government Services and civil society organizations for their collaboration in the preparation of the Plan. The fact that a Cypriot NGO was recently selected as one of the four organizations taking part in a discussion with the UN Secretary-General on Resolution 1325 and its implementation, in the context of the events for the 20 years since its adoption, proves that joint efforts in this direction are also gaining international recognition.
Implementation of the provisions of resolution 1325 is an integral part of the policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which aims, as a matter of priority, at strengthening women's rights and promoting gender equality through the exercise of foreign policy and the establishment of relevant collaborations and synergies with other States.
Finally, it is noted that the protection and promotion of women's rights strengthens the effort to achieve full and effective equality, which in turn plays a key role in the prosperity of societies, creating the basis and prospects for sustainable development.
[The National Action Plan is avaiable here, in Greek only at the moment]